With the Boston bar scene bigger than ever, there’s no shortage of great bartenders across the city. Below is the first in a quarterly Q&A with the local talent—who they are, what they like to drink, and what you should know before bellying up to their bar. To kick it off, Lucca Bay Bay’s Ryan Polhemus offers his top five desert island drinks, a list of home bar staples, and what it means to be a Boston bartender right now.
How did you get involved in restaurants (and, specifically, bartending)?
I got involved in restaurants when I was 19 working at Starbucks and one of my coworkers said “Hey, want to make better money?” Then, I got into bartending when I was serving at that restaurant and one of my coworkers said “Hey, want to make better money?” I think some passions are aspirational, like being an astronaut, while others sort of sneak up on you. Restaurants have allowed me the freedom to travel and pursue other interests while doing something I’ve really grown to enjoy. Bartending, for me, developed like an arranged marriage—I sort of hated it at first, but after a couple of years I learned to love it despite myself.
What’s your favorite drink to make? Least favorite?
My favorite drink to make is an Old Fashioned. I make mine the same way Hungry Mother (RIP) made theirs, and they made my favorite in the city. My least favorite drink to make is a name brand vodka martini with self-righteous instructions (but I’ll still do it with a smile).
How do you feel about the ‘mixology’ movement?
Any time a new word is coined for something that already exists it means the perception of that thing is changing. (Look at lumbersexuals: ten years ago they were just guys from Maine.) Attitudes about bartending have shifted on both sides of the stick in the last few years; people are demanding and appreciating quality in their beverages, and I think that’s a great thing for everybody. Of course there are people who take it too far and try to make mixing drinks exclusive rather than inclusive.
On days off, some industry people are happier with a Miller High Life and a Fernet than composed cocktails or craft beer. You?
I think there’s a feeling of guilt and pressure among industry folk when we go out to be the easiest guests in the restaurant, a sort of one-upmanship in not being “those people.” I certainly don’t want to be the guy posted up at the service bar asking for dealer’s choice drinks when the joint is full. However, cocktails are delicious, and, you know, it’s good research. So I don’t order a lot of Ramos Gin Fizzes, but I won’t relegate myself to boilermakers for the rest of my life just because muddling is annoying.
What do you always keep stocked at home?
My desert-island top five bottles would be gin, rye, Campari, sweet vermouth, and Angostura. I would happily starve to death drinking Manhattans and Negronis, so I always have those. I also always have about 5 kinds of rum (because of daiquiris) and Allen’s Coffee Brandy (because it’s Allen’s Coffee Brandy). I like to experiment at home, so I have a bunch of weird stuff too: random shrubs, a tomato-infused Campari, milk-washed tequila. I want to do a dessert drink called the Aperol Splitz, so I’m messing around with Aperol and bananas right now. Results so far have been varied.
Are you excited about one spirit in particular? Is there something really overrated or underrated, in your opinion?
Currently I’m really excited about Privateer Rum’s new releases. Not to plug the hometown heroes too hard, but they put such work and care into their craft it makes it really easy to put my money where my values are. (Note: I am not affiliated with Privateer beyond the sizable portion of my liver annexed by their products.) I don’t know if this is reflective of a trend beyond the fact that people seem to be getting over the idea of the “next big thing” or drinking weird stuff nobody has ever heard of (I’m looking at you, Malort). I’ll still do a shot of Fernet with you, but I think there was a collective sigh of relief when we all admitted that rosé is delicious and it’s cool to just drink what you like.
What’s something you wish the average guest knew about your job?
The enormous amount of work and dedication on display when a really talented bartender is serving you a drink—the hours of study and practice and honing of skills that take place behind the scenes. Bartending, at least at the level I’m talking about, is no longer the job you settle for when acting didn’t pan out, and there are some seriously talented and hard-working people who elevate the craft to an art form.
